Written Answers Tuesday 19 June 2007

Scottish Executive

Apprenticeships

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to increase the number of construction apprenticeships in Dumfries and Galloway.

Maureen Watt: We are committed to reviewing the modern apprenticeship (MA) programme to ensure that the MAs being delivered match skills gaps. In this context, we will take stock of current provision before taking a view on individual geographical areas and we will also consider these issues within the context of the Skills Strategy.

  Scottish Enterprise, who currently manage the MA programme within Dumfries and Galloway, has allocated £35 million over seven years from 2003-10 to its Construction Skills Action Plan for the industry across the whole network. This money is used to support a wide range of activity including apprenticeship training.

Bridges

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alleviate traffic in the Rosyth area if the Forth Road Bridge is closed to heavy goods vehicles in 2013-14.

Stewart Stevenson: Detailed planning work will be undertaken by Scottish Executive officials; officials from the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA), and officials from Fife Council (CEC) to examine what measures might be required.

  Any works would need to be carried out through FETA and Fife Council as the appropriate roads authorities.

Communities

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list available community investment funds, initiatives and partnerships, showing how each are administered and audited for both best value and success.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish government provides a number of funds which support what might be called "community investment" around Scotland. The largest of these is the Community Regeneration Fund, £108 million in 2007-08, which is allocated to Community Planning Partnerships (CPP). Each partnership appoints an "accountable body" to receive the grant and ensure that funding is used in line with the terms and conditions. These are available at:

  http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webgraphics/finalcrftermsandconditions.pdf.

  A national Performance Management Framework (PMF) provides the basis for monitoring and auditing success against each CPP’s Regeneration Outcome Agreement. These agreements set out how the CRF, other relevant funding streams and the related resources of partners will be used to achieve specific outcome targets for the most disadvantaged communities. The core element of the PMF is an annual report from each CPP focusing on outcomes, key performance indicators, equalities information and community engagement. A copy of the PMF is available at

  http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_010595.hcsp#TopOfPage.

  More broadly, Audit Scotland ensures that all organisations who spend public money in Scotland use it properly, efficiently and effectively. It does this by carrying out financial audits which check how local authorities and public bodies manage their finances and funding programmes to the highest standards and how they achieve the best possible value for public money. In addition, a rolling programme of Best Value audits ensure that the duty of local authorities to secure continuous improvement, which is set out in the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, is monitored and reported on.

  If the member wishes more detailed or specific information on particular funding streams I would be happy to provide it.

Communities

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct a review of community investment funds, initiatives and partnerships in respect of their administration and outcomes.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish government will be examining all funding as part of the forthcoming spending review process. This includes the Community Regeneration Fund and others funds aimed at tackling poverty and disadvantage.

Credit Unions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has held with Communities Scotland to discuss the future funding of credit unions.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with Communities Scotland about how credit unions will be assisted to expand the services they offer.

John Swinney: Credit unions fall within the remit of the Minister for Communities and Sport. The minister has received briefing from officials in the Scottish Executive on the support provided to credit unions by Communities Scotland and others. We are committed to continuing support for the credit union movement.

Digital Technology

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when residents of the John O’ Groats area will have universal access to broadband.

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when residents of the Kylesku area of north-west Sutherland will have universal access to broadband.

Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-456 on 8 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Economy

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-85 by Jim Mather on 31 May 2007, with which small European nations it aims to bring Scotland’s growth rate into line.

Jim Mather: Countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ireland and Norway fare better than Scotland in terms equality, health and wealth indicators. We want to learn lessons from nations like these in order to refine strategies required to deliver greater and more sustainable, long-term economic growth for Scotland.

Education

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to Valuable Assets , the EOC report on its formal investigation into the role and status of classroom assistants in Scottish schools.

Maureen Watt: The issues raised by the equal opportunities commission’s formal investigation into the role and status of classroom assistants will be carefully considered, and a response regarding their recommendations relevant to the Scottish Executive will be made in due course.

Education

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the call by the EIS for a ban on recruitment by the armed forces in schools, whether ministers will issue immediate guidance to education authorities to ensure that this practice ceases.

Maureen Watt: Local authorities and schools are presently and rightly responsible for considering the arrangements under which any potential employer offers advice on career opportunities to pupils, and does that in a professional manner, appropriate to the pupils’ age and maturity, and in a way which does not seek to exert undue or inappropriate influence.

Education

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take in response to the report, published by Glasgow City Council, into Kerelaw residential school.

Adam Ingram: The abuse suffered by children and young people in Kerelaw over such a lengthy period should not have happened and the Government is determined to learn the lessons from this dreadful situation.

  I have taken the following actions to respond to the Glasgow review of its management of Kerelaw School.

  A letter will be issued this week to all providers of residential care, local authorities and independent bodies, reminding them of their obligations, both for the protection of children in their care and for the provision of effective measures to enable children to make complaints safely.

  Local authorities will also be reminded of their responsibilities as corporate parent to ensure that the children who they place in these establishments are cared for and supported effectively and that children feel safe to report any concerns. Similarly, in their role as commissioners of residential services, they will be reminded of their responsibility to satisfy themselves fully that the establishments where they place children are safe.

  I will meet with Glasgow City Council to discuss its report in more detail.

  I will write to all regulatory bodies asking them to identify what further measures they need to put in place to ensure that the current inspection and regulatory regime can identify and respond to concerns of abuse quickly.

  I will meet with residential providers, the Association of Directors of Social Work and others to identify what further improvements may be needed to protect children from abuse in residential care.

  In addition to these measures, by September 2007 I will have received the independent report of the in-care historic abuse systemic review 1950-95. I will then consider what further action is required to ensure a comprehensive approach.

Efficient Government

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why its targets for efficiency savings are 1.5% per annum when the targets for the rest of the United Kingdom are 3%.

John Swinney: We will treat efficiency in the public sector in Scotland in a way that best suits the needs of the people of Scotland. The spending review is on-going and as a part of this we will establish the detail of our efficiency programme for 2008-11. We will expect public services across Scotland to deliver cash-releasing recurrent efficiency gains of at least 1.5% per annum across that period.

Efficient Government

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why, when the UK overall efficiency savings targets have risen between September 2004 and September 2007, there has not been a commensurate rise in Scotland.

John Swinney: Responsibility for savings targets in 31 of the 36 months referred to in the question lay with the last government. The new government will treat efficiency in the public sector in Scotland in a way that best suits the needs of the people of Scotland.

Equalities Strategy

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements it intends to make to the presentation of equalities information in the Scottish budget.

John Swinney: The main sources of information on equalities will be our reports on performance in respect of the Equality Strategy and the public sector duties on equality. We are reviewing the format of the budget documents for 2008-09 onwards, including the presentation of equalities information.

Inter-Governmental Links

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it first became aware of the existence of a memorandum of understanding between the UK and Libyan governments.

Kenny MacAskill: On 1 June 2007. Before then we had only an indication that one might exist.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost to date has been of the police enquiries into the allegations of perjury during the Tommy Sheridan versus the News of the World case.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally.

  In any event, it would not be appropriate, for operational reasons, to disclose information about on-going police investigations.

Justice

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-32072 by Johann Lamont on 7 March 2007, whether it will provide a breakdown by year of the community projects that have benefited from the funds confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Kenny MacAskill: The answer to S2W-32072 listed all those projects which benefited from funding from this source in 2006-07, which was the first year in which that funding source was used to support community projects.

  The Cabinet Secretary for Justice announced on 6 June the steps we are now taking to decide how we can best use funds from this source in this and future years.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Justice

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive in what percentage of cases heard where a prosecution for theft, assault, rape, attempted murder or murder made was DNA evidence was presented.

Elish Angiolini QC: The information requested is not available. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s case management database records details of accused and charges but this does not include searchable information about the evidence used by the prosecution.

Livestock

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it remains committed to the arrangements in relation to freight and livestock transport to and from the North Isles and the mainland.

Stewart Stevenson: Under the terms of the public service contract for the provision of lifeline ferry services to and from the Northern Isles, which commenced on 6 July 2006, NorthLink Ferries Ltd is contractually obliged to carry freight and livestock as part of the Approved Services in accordance with relevant contractual terms. We have no plans to vary the Approved Services set out in that contract.

Livestock

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the new cassette system for transporting livestock to and from the North Isles will be introduced.

Stewart Stevenson: I can confirm that further development work on the new livestock containers continues and is being taken forward by NorthLink Ferries Ltd in conjunction with industry representatives and animal welfare authorities. NorthLink expects to have new prototypes available for testing and further consultation with industry interests in time for this year’s autumn peak season, with new containers being phased in thereafter to be fully available by autumn 2008, in time for that year’s peak livestock season.

Livestock

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of the introduction of the new cassette system for transporting livestock to and from the North Isles will be on the cost of such transport.

Stewart Stevenson: Freight and livestock tariffs are charged on the basis of the lane meterage used per journey and the agreement between Scottish ministers and NorthLink Ferries Ltd provides for annual index linked increases to those tariffs. The charge per head of livestock shipped will depend on how effectively the container space is used. As the new system will incorporate provision for some "double decking", average charges per head should fall, again assuming that container space is used effectively.

Livestock

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has with regard to the transportation of livestock to and from the North Isles and the mainland.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-628, S3W-633 and S3W-634 on 19 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Local Government Finance

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why Orkney Islands Council receives a lower rate of revenue support than Western Isles and Shetland councils; whether the gap has been narrowing over recent years, and what further steps the Executive plans to take to eliminate the gap in funding and in what timescales.

John Swinney: The core local government finance settlement is distributed using a needs-based formula that takes account of the circumstances of each local authority. The main reasons for the differences in the shares of funding between Orkney Islands Council and Eilean Siar and Shetland Islands Councils can be attributed to the level of funding to support debt, their allocations of Special Islands Needs Allowance and the effects of the "floor" which guarantees a minimum year-on-year increase in grant. The allocations attributable to expenditure-based service assessments, such as ferries and planning, also contribute to some of the difference in funding levels.

  The funding differential remained constant between 1999-2000 and 2005-06, although the gap has narrowed slightly in the last two years.

  The distribution methodology is kept under constant review and this will inevitably have some effect on each council’s share of future funding allocations. The four areas identified above, for example, are all being reviewed as part of this work and any changes will be implemented in time for the next local government finance settlement.

Nursing

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards employ dedicated dementia nurses.

Shona Robison: We do not hold this information centrally.

Piers and Harbours

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to re-establish piers in the highlands and islands.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive operates two grant schemes that support harbours work, namely for the development of harbour facilities supporting lifeline ferry services in the Highlands and Islands and for emergency repairs to fisheries harbours. Support may also be available from local authorities, local enterprise companies and European funding.

Planning

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that any shortcomings in the provision of essential infrastructure do not act as an obstacle to development.

Stewart Stevenson: Development plans are drawn up in consultation with infrastructure providers. The Planning etc (Scotland) Act places a new duty on planning authorities to exercise their development planning functions with the objective of contributing to sustainable development. The act provides a new framework which will help to deliver up-to-date, relevant development plans. The new provisions include action programmes for the implementation of the policies and proposals within each plan, to be delivered where appropriate in conjunction with developers, and enhanced performance management of the development planning system. The provisions of the act are expected to come into force in autumn 2008, following the preparation of related secondary legislation.

  At a national level the National Planning Framework (NPF) sets out a strategy for Scotland's long-term spatial development and identifies key strategic infrastructure needs so that we can plan for the right investment in the right places. The NPF is currently under review and a new version will be published in 2008.

Public Transport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the position of many people in Glasgow Maryhill and other parts of Glasgow who cannot easily access hospitals and health centres due to a lack of bus services in their area.

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that some workers, particularly shift workers in Glasgow Maryhill and elsewhere in Glasgow, are inconvenienced by a lack of bus services.

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that many people in Maryhill and in other parts of Glasgow are unable to visit friends and family or engage in social activity because there are no bus services in their area after 6pm and at weekends.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is concerned about a lack of bus routes providing services to hospitals.

Stewart Stevenson: The provision of local bus services is a matter for bus operators and local transport authorities. Beyond the commercial decisions of individual operators, it is the responsibility of the relevant transport authority to identify where there is a need for socially necessary bus services and to subsidise these at its discretion. The Scottish Executive provides funding to local authorities through Grant Aided Expenditure arrangements to support socially necessary bus services. In 2007-08 this amounts to £29.1 million for all local authority areas, of which £3.325 million was allocated to Glasgow City Council.

Public Transport

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the re-regulation of buses.

Stewart Stevenson: There are no plans for re-regulation of the buses. We are currently working with bus operators, transport authorities and other key industry stakeholders to ensure the effective operation of the current bus regime.

Public Transport

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take any measures to improve bus services.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will initiate any discussions with the bus industry on the provision of services throughout Scotland.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the current arrangements for the provision of bus services.

Stewart Stevenson: We are committed to improving the public transport experience for passengers thereby providing maximum benefit and easing the commute. There are many excellent examples of bus services across Scotland. However, we recognise that there is also scope for improvement. We will be working with bus operators, transport authorities, the Scottish Traffic Commissioner and other key stakeholders on more effective transport planning, the development of the bus industry, and more effective implementation of the regulatory regime.

Public Transport

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make any changes to the bus regulatory framework in the next four years.

Stewart Stevenson: Along with other bus stakeholders, we are currently examining the implementation of the regulatory framework and are reviewing the legislation on Quality Partnerships and Quality Contracts. We will consider what changes may be required in due course.

Rail Network

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the delivery of the Borders railway will be under threat if the Edinburgh Airport rail link scheme, approved by the Parliament, progresses.

Stewart Stevenson: There is no linkage between any decisions on the value of EARL and the Borders railway projects. However, any increases in cost of EARL could limit the funds available for other rail investments, including the Borders railway.

Rail Network

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will plan for further extensions to the Borders railway.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans for further extensions to the Borders railway.

Rail Network

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prepare a case for the extension of the Borders railway to Hawick.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive currently has no plans to prepare a case for the extension of the Borders railway to Hawick.

Roads

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who will be consulted as part of a review of the existing proposals for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of a review of existing proposals for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale will be for a review of existing proposals for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which agencies will carry out a review of existing proposals for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report to the Parliament on a review of existing proposals for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change’s comments on 7 June 2007 in response to an intervention from Patrick Harvie ( Official Report c. 458) and the answer to the second supplementary question to question S3F-29 by Alex Salmond on 7 June 2007, what further financial review is planned of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the risk of any delay to completion of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route by instituting a further financial review of the project and, if so, what the level of risk was found to be.

Stewart Stevenson: There is no specific review planned for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. We have asked Transport Scotland to examine it as part of a review of all strategic transport projects. We continue to monitor all projects to ensure proper financial control and management as well as to deliver value for money for Scottish taxpayers. That is all part of the normal natural and necessary business of good Government.

Scottish Executive Finance

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for the 2007 spending review.

John Swinney: Work on Strategic Spending Review 2007 is already underway, and the outcome will be announced in the autumn. I will provide Parliament with further detail shortly.

Scottish Executive Finance

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the findings of Professor Lorne Crerar’s independent review of scrutiny of public services in Scotland.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-803 on 12 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Executive Finance

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in establishing baselines in the forthcoming Scottish budget to enable overall savings to be quantified and to ensure that the Executive pursues internal efficiency savings to a level comparable with those required of local authorities.

John Swinney: The Spending Review is on-going and as a part of this we will establish the detail of our efficiency programme for 2008-11; this will include the setting of baselines for the programme. We will expect public services across Scotland to deliver cash-releasing recurrent efficiency gains of at least 1.5% per annum across that period.

Scottish Executive Finance

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to give the control of Scotland’s various common good funds to appropriate elected community councils.

John Swinney: There are no plans at present, however, the future management of common goods funds and assets will be considered as part of a review of asset management across the public sector.

Scottish Executive Ministers

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of ministerial redundancy payments has been in each year since 1999.

John Swinney: On leaving office, ministers in the Scottish Executive are entitled to a severance grant of one quarter of their final ministerial salary. This is payable under Article 6 of The Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Grants to Members and Officeholders) Order Statutory Instrument (SI) 1999/1081 providing they do not again become a holder of a relevant office within a period of three weeks after resignation.

  For the purposes of section 190 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988[2], the severance grant is deemed to have been paid under section 81(3) of the Scotland Act 1998, and is exempt from income tax.

  The amounts paid in each financial year since 1999 are:

  

Year
Amount


1999-2000
Nil


2000-01
£13,355.25


2001-02
£66,402.25


2002-03
£14,734.75


2003-04
£30,133.00


2004-05
£11,837.50


2005-06
£15,798.75


2006-07
£19,817.50


2007-08 to date
£143,473.25

Transport

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to what "vast number of alternatives" to the current Edinburgh Airport Rail Link the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth referred on 31 May 2007 ( Official Report c. 379).

Stewart Stevenson: A number of alternative options for a rail link to Edinburgh airport were appraised during the feasibility phase of the EARL project. In addition to this Transport Scotland and Network Rail are currently working together to consider new options to provide a rail link to the airport.